


Shine a Light

by brewmycoffee



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Emotional Baggage, Ereriminibang2k19, Eventual Smut, First Time, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 05:47:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19435162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brewmycoffee/pseuds/brewmycoffee
Summary: People have criticized Levi for being too harsh on his soldiers in the past, but they don't need to know the part about his impulses to become an emotional crutch for every person that gets under his wing, including a certain Titan shifter.





	Shine a Light

**Author's Note:**

> Eeeep, the Ereri minibang is finally here! This was originally meant to be a piece detailing the events during the timeskip post-RTS but after watching the latest ep from season 3 and binging some good, old Ereri basics from 2014, I went into another crazefest of "what-if" scenarios and went from there XD
> 
> This fic was honestly a physical pain to write (did everything on my phone due to school and traveling LOL), but it turned out better than I hoped! Fair warning though for those uncomfortable with the infamous court scene: I wrote my own version of it from Levi's perspective and it's pretty straightforward and brutal so feel free to skip it and proceed with the rest of the story. Honestly, its just 8k worth of word-vomit on Levi's thoughts on Eren during important moments in canon (but with a twist ;D).
> 
> I'd also like to thank glaucidiumpasserinum for collabing with me and providing me insightful tabs on their glorious [art](https://glaucidiumpasserinum.tumblr.com/post/185978841412/shine-a-light), which will be based on a scene that you'll find in the next chapter! Enjoy! <3

"This...this is the guy?"

  
"I suppose so, Levi."

  
Levi waited for an additional witty, sarcastic remark from his superior, which he would have appreciated hearing right now, but it didn't come. It had just occurred to him that the majority of the human populace was desperately banking---straight up gambling their future onto the shoulders of a cadet fresh out of the trainee corps, one that had insufficient experience in field combat...Pixis must have been drinking too much fucking brandy when he had been temporarily in charge of the kid.

  
"This is who people are now calling their Greatest Hope for Humanity?” Levi flipped through the military records in a swift and deliberate fashion, mulling over every bit of detail with furrowed brows and a scoff waiting to be released from the tip of his tongue.

  
He had long gotten over his disbelief of the....riveting information regarding their recent case thanks to Erwin’s brief but thorough overview of the Battle of Trost, which almost all the civilians seemed to be bumbling about in the past few days. The story of reclaiming Wall Rose, in particular, was too good to be true, a feat that must have been impossible and unheard of for a hundred years.

  
“He looks to be a promising chief asset,” Erwin replied solemnly, pinning Levi down with one of his resolute stares, an indication that there was something brewing in his brilliant but mysterious mind once more. Whether his right man liked it or not, he was still going to hear the doubts the ex-thug would bring forth surrounding the situation.

  
Wading into the recesses of his mind, Levi picked up the image of the young boy whom he’d discovered near the huge boulder blocking the entrance to Trost District, barely hanging on to consciousness with two other soldiers at his side, and he was apparently the key factor in the mission’s success considering his ability to...well, transform into one of the very things Levi had sworn to kill since getting out of his shitty life underground. He was pretty sure he would have done Eren Jaeger in seconds had he not leaped over the wall earlier and seen him being dragged out of the disgusting, steaming Titan flesh, the same flesh that earned Humanity its first victory in fucking millennia.

  
Regardless, other divisions still considered him a potential threat instead of a savior, a complicated matter they needed to address before cementing his place as a valuable tool for the legion.

  
“By asset, you mean whatever the hell that bizarre ability he had. His father's to probe for details in this scenario, but he's been playing hide and seek for five years with no trace left in sight. And now all the pesky brokers are bribing those MP bastards into dissecting whatever they can find in his body for disclosure to the public.” Levi promptly slapped Jaeger’s files onto Erwin’s desk, spreading them out on the red, varnished wood as if they were a stack of cards. A copy portrait of Jaeger himself was peeking out from under the neatly pressed paper and Erwin glanced at it considerably, taking note of the purposeful expression on the boy’s face that whoever the skilled artist was, had somehow been able to capture with clarity.

  
His most trusted soldier continued. “In case you didn't know, I just got a report here saying this Jaeger kid had been presumed dead during the first Titan breaching. Cost his life to rescue fellow cadet graduate, Armin Arlert.”

  
He shot a meaningful look at Erwin as he said this. The commander only nodded. They needed to sort out all issues with their possible ward's survival tactics if they wanted him to last longer than the time it would take for their reputation to take a nosedive.

  
Besides that, what else did he have to offer?

  
“Unless Four-eyes and their research team can confirm that this special ‘power’ he possesses can be transferred to another host, which they claim could be a possibility given more resources and proper analysis, the kid is technically replaceable.”

  
“As much as I hold a valuable skill set in high regard, Levi,” Erwin winded his fingers together in contemplation. “You do know that I also admire when a soldier, no matter the rank, holds utmost dedication to our cause, which is why I believe it is of everyone’s greatest interest to have Eren Jaeger taken into our custody.”

  
Levi snorted. Dedication didn’t mean shit if one couldn’t even survive their first Titan attack (with 0 kills to boot), much less a life-endangering expedition outside the walls, but deep down he knew Erwin had hammered the nail straight in. He snatched the portrait, studying the boy’s features as the faded charcoal would allow. The soldier had a sharp though slightly rounded face; no ridiculous sideburns or bowlcuts, but just the standard mousy, rumpled hair he had seen common among the village boys in Shiganshina. The most noteworthy thing about him was his eyes. Wide. Daring. Ferocious (Levi wondered what color they were). A dangerous, exciting concoction as Hange weirdly liked to put it. And the profile accompanying it begged for consideration.

  
“The brat looks like the type to pick a fight every week.”

  
“Thirty times since his recruitment to be exact. You’d be surprised at what there is to know prior to that.” A dark chuckle came from Erwin’s lips, which Levi took as a bad sign. The Military Police were gonna have so much fun digging up some huge dirt on their part.

  
“Hmph. What’s your source?”

  
“I persuaded Shadis to provide me with his own dossier on Eren." Erwin pulled said compilation out of his drawer and set it in front for inspection. It looked to be recently set and bound. Levi winced upon seeing how thick it was.

  
"It includes some personal information reaching as far as career aspirations, reasons for enlistment, psychological evaluations, all recorded within 3 years of our friend's rigorous training regiment…." A giant leap ahead as always, the smooth bastard.

  
"And after heavy perusal, it has come to my surprise that you two are rather similar in some aspects.”

  
Hoh.

  
"You better tell me there's a section in there saying he's masterful in his cleaning duties, then." Levi quipped with a raised brow.

  
Erwin snickered. "Would you like to give it a look?"

  
No...he'd rather see the boy for who he was himself. There was no need for another load of preconceptions on his plate other than the necessary show of distrust.

  
"You're not making me read that thing overnight."

  
“Of course I wouldn't." Erwin said knowingly. "Regardless,” He shifted onto a more serious tone. “I’m certain that with some strict supervision, he should be as good as ready to tag along with our forces in a few months’ time, assuming we win him over, of course, though that should be no problem with the back-up plan I have in mind.”

  
The words ‘supervision’ and 'back-up plan' rung in Levi’s head, and they were as bothersome as the alarm bells that would wake him up in the dead of the night due to an urgent meeting or unexpected invasion. Whether Erwin’s statement was an invitation or not, he didn’t bother taking it...at least for now. There was no other choice.

  
Taking his silence in stride, Erwin asked. "Found anything interesting on his person?"

  
Levi reached into the breast pocket of his military jacket to reveal a distinctly-shaped key that served as a necklace. "Easy swipe. Seems to me that Daddy left his little boy a parting gift.”

  
He handed over the key to Erwin. The bronze item glinted in the lamplight, and the commander hummed in satisfaction, fiddling with it for a bit. “Then the boy might be able to provide us with some further explanation, but in the event that he can’t, then perhaps...affirming his clear motive will suffice.”

  
Levi adjusted his cravat before proceeding to the door of the study. “Let’s just go to the stinky dungeons and find out, shall we?

* * *

When Levi encountered the boy himself, he had expected the standard meekness and uncertainty one would adopt upon being interrogated in their own jail cell, but he was no less than pleasantly surprised and intrigued when Jaeger transformed into something else entirely within mere minutes. All it had taken for this sudden change was to remind him of what he had truly wanted, to hell what this rotten world would throw at him in return.

  
"I'm gonna slaughter every last one of them from existence..."

  
No rehearsed mantras of glory or praise, not even the satisfaction of some foolish curiosities he's heard one too many times in all three brigades. Although it was only presented in small increments, it was apparent that there was pure rage radiating from Eren Jaeger that night, the desire to kill, to destroy, to fill the void of loss with whatever had been wretched from him long ago.

  
The beast within the cage bared its jaws hungrily, itching to sink its teeth in and devour its prey. Every twitch and telltale sign of suppressed anger within the boy filled his cell with a palpable air, dark tendrils of it slithering between the bars and pushing the already tense prison guards to unconsciously grip their rifles a tad tighter. Levi was no coward in the meantime, but he couldn't help shifting his foot a little hearing Jaeger's shaky voice saying something so simple and common and yet so genuine and bold altogether...

  
People were right in being frightened of Eren Jaeger, but for the wrong reasons...

His public display of outrage only confirmed his suspicions. And it was exactly what their side needed.

  
"You guys have never even seen a Titan all your lives!"

  
Levi did a one-over of the greedy pigs on the opposite side of the bleak courtroom. Their stances may have displayed a countenance of bravery, but in reality they were all sweating down to their balls, so scared shitless of a fifteen-year old boy that it was almost hilarious. They clearly wanted to curl in on themselves with every bit of raw, powerful truth Jaeger spouted despite his legally mandated position on the floor, his life hanging by a thread within their hands.

  
"Why back down now when you have the strength to fight! You...you're all cowards!"

  
Bingo.

  
The corporal chanced a glance at Erwin, who looked on straight ahead, unaffected by the whole debacle taking place. There was no sign of assent required.

  
He knew what to do.

  
Directing his gaze back to the metal rod trapping Jaeger to the ground, Levi predicted the time it would take to leap across the boundary and get to the troublesome Titan shifter before his brain matter came oozing messily onto the polished white marble, which would be a shame, honestly…

  
A great shame, indeed...that he was going to have to get his hands dirty for this...

  
"Let me shoulder this burden! Put all of your faith in me!"

  
Jaeger finished off with a shout that echoed throughout the walls, his message ringing with a finality no outside threat or enemy could fake for their life. The room remained dead silent for a scant moment, but Levi couldn't risk missing his opportunity to cinch the deal.

  
'Sorry, kid.' He thought grimly, squeezing the railing in preparation.

  
Instantly, he vaulted over the side and got to Jaeger swiftly before Nile Dok's pea of a brain could even catch up and have him issue the command to kill. With a grunt, he dealt a clean, perfect blow to the boy's face, boot on cheek, right after the sharp click of the holster.

  
One.

  
Levi thought he heard something clink on the floor, but he was too focused on the quizzical, shocked expression Jaeger was wearing when he turned to him. Shock couldn't even begin to cover it. What must have it been like for the young, idealistic soldier, realizing that Humanity's Strongest, the same person who had just offered to take him under his wing, out of his own will, might he add, had just knocked his tooth out mercilessly for a thousand people to see.

  
Two.

  
Without pause, he went for his stomach, rendering the boy speechless, keeping him from saying more dangerous things people didn't want but needed to hear, words that would etch themselves onto the huge target he painted on his back in that moment. Jaeger couldn't even utter out a gasp before Levi grabbed hold of his hair and kneed him straight in his poor, handsome face.

  
Three...Four...Five...Six…Seven….

  
Every count that he made in his head, a new speckle of blood littered the floor along with Jaeger's groans echoing throughout the walls. Back in Levi's more questionable days, the scum unfortunate enough to end up getting mauled under the sole of his boot would become a sobbing mess after getting a seventh or eighth kick, begging for mercy and letting their true pathetic selves show under the weak street lights, and that was usually where Levi ended the course of his severe beating.

  
But Eren Jaeger didn't beg for him to stop, not even once. He took the heavy blows without a plea for help, as if he defied the idea of even submitting to the tremendous, unnecessary pain the corporal was putting him under, no matter how much he himself despised doing so...

  
Hearing no response from Jaeger other than the same cry, Levi numbed down the uneasy feeling settling down in the pit of his stomach. Shaking his head, he stomped on Jaeger's face, pinning it down as if to crush any thought of terror that threatened to take root at witnessing such resilience. Levi proceeded to talk down on him like he was a wild dog that needed to be disciplined and controlled, just in case the dense fucks standing gobsmacked on the other side still didn't let the message sink in.

  
To the surprise of no one, it was Nile who expressed worry over Jaeger going rogue.

  
For Sina's sake.

  
At the same time, the boy, all bruised and bloodied up from at least eleven hits, lifted his head up to...well damn.

  
He was glaring. It was the exact same look from the dungeons: feral eyes that never strayed away from Levi's own, teeth gritted in determination, and a barely shaking frame that carried out his intentions perfectly clear. He wasn't going to give up, not now, not ever.

  
This guy was a monster.

  
Levi gave another kick, not hoping that Eren would forgive him after this, no, but that he would at least understand.

* * *

  
The second instance Levi struck down Eren Jaeger was when he had to break him and Jean Kirschtein apart from continuing what could have been another needless and petty fight that the whole legion didn't have the time and energy for, considering the huge battle they were going up against soon.

  
Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting his shoulders drop down a bit when he was positive the rest of the Survey Corps had cleared out of the mess hall to take their goddamn beauty rest. He wasn't in the mood to kick anyone's ass to bed.

  
He was tired and grumpy at this hour. Nothing unusual. The stress must have been getting to him.

  
The corporal sat down by the long dinner table, alone with his thoughts again for the night. He wasn't exactly the smoothest and most eloquent when it came to speech, but his mind certainly made up for it with a fresh batch of back-up plans, counter strategies, the newest scout formation drafted for weeks, and other more pressing matters, like the black box containing the titan serum that had made its new home bundled up in his cloak upstairs.

  
He eventually came back to the present.

  
It may have been a simple warning conveyed in a violent act of military protocol, but Levi couldn't help the small pang of guilt washing over him when he knocked both Eren and Jean to the ground so abruptly, and after everything that had transpired. Days prior to Historia's coronation, Jean had almost been killed and was probably still beating himself up over not being quick enough to act in self-defense, therefore following whatever difficult routes and instructions Levi set out for his squad. The squad themselves were no doubt pushed past their limits despite their long-standing competence, all in their haste to rescue Historia, who was now the rightful heir to the throne, and Eren…

  
For the umpteenth time, it dawned on Levi the overwhelming pressure he had thrust upon Eren back in those crumbling crystal caves. The titan shifter wasn't even allowed the simple relief of processing the effects his kidnapping had on him, of getting brutally stripped of his freedom. He had been presented as a bounty; gagged, tied up, and fallen in the clutches of Kenny the Ripper of all people, and Levi knew personally how visceral his late uncle had been towards his hostages, physically and mentally...

  
What had he said to Eren? What had he done to him?

  
It didn't matter now. Kenny couldn't do anything to him anymore, not beyond his flowery grave.

  
Still, Eren regained his bearings. He pushed through the grout, saved his comrades even when he'd been ridiculed and awakened to another harsh reality moments before, when his own mentor couldn't offer much else except a desperate apology.

  
'I'm sorry for making you do this...but you've got to make a choice...'

  
Way to console him, tiny old man.

  
While he was pondering, he spotted a stain on the table he'd been scrutinizing for the past few minutes (They fucking missed). Crinkling his nose in disgust, he reached inside for his handkerchief, only to realize that he'd given his last spare to Eren that time he ran his nose bloody on top of the walls, never complaining, wrecking his body to produce the results that everyone wanted, creating his own fifty inch barrier for them all---

  
Levi shook his head. He'd been thinking of the goddamn kid a lot lately. He could have blamed it on him being out of commission for too long, prompting him to grow concerned over what he bore alongside Historia while they were held captive, or on the other remaining Ackerman alive...Mikasa, who was still having trouble keeping her overprotectiveness of him in check, as hard as she tried not to. That urge was something he could honestly relate to for reasons not so different from hers. To her, Eren was the harbor in a raging storm, her endless source of inspiration from what he gleaned in her moments of emotional vulnerability.

  
And to him, well...he never forgot the surprised look he'd gotten from Reeves when he told him.

  
Speaking of Reeves, he still hadn't sent the tea leaves he promised to Levi. Bastard.

  
He needed to get something else to drink.

  
Beer. Left hand corner among the many boxes placed inconspicuously behind the kitchen counters. He was one of the select few who knew of the hidden alcoholic content strewn around the castle that served as their comfort stop. It came with having a tolerance higher than most soldiers, which even Pixis complimented him for.

  
Pouring himself a mug, he decided to go about for a breath of fresh air, where he would often sit on a roof or a platform with stone steps to gaze up at the clear, starry night sky, let his mind wander from titans and traitors and conspiracies, those who died and those who didn't. There were sadly a few things that gave him a peace of mind.

  
He made his way to the right of the mess hall where there were other doors leading to the alley, but then stopped when he heard familiar voices outside.

  
"Shouldn't you guys be watching out for me more?"

  
"I knew if you got hurt, it would heal up quick, so I just watched."

  
"How cruel."

  
"You're the one who caused it, Eren."

  
Ah, it was always those three. Looked liked they beat him to his favorite spot.

  
On one hand, he considered appearing out of the blue then and there, berating them for sneaking off and not following his orders. It was already ten minutes past curfew time.

  
On the other...well, he was feeling particularly generous tonight. Curious to say the least.

  
He positioned himself in the corner of the wall, making sure he was hidden from view; Setting the beer down by his side quietly, he chose to wait and see if their conversation could entertain his own lonely thoughts.

  
"Whether I'm spunky or not, I'll do what I have to do."

  
Levi felt a sense of deja vu filling him at the words from Eren, who sounded eerily calm. The shifter would often repeat them to him, Hange, and his former squad with more bite and desperation whenever they'd gotten a major setback, a hindrance in the progress they'd been striving for ever since they learned that a Titan transformation wasn't as simple as taking a stroll in the forest, that it had a deeper, darker history to it than what they assumed beforehand.

  
And then Eren said something new, about how he couldn't keep changing stuff, acknowledging that even with strength from one or two strong soldiers alone, it would never be enough to bag a permanent victory, but he still held out for the hope that things would get better, that as long as everyone joined forces together, they could secure the future they weren't certain of but desiring for nonetheless.

  
"Every person is different, and it's all for times like this." He finished.

  
These weren't the words of a monster.

  
'He's grown quite wise, lately.' Levi thought, his chest swelling with something he couldn't name. He took the beer and drank until it was half-full.

  
"Once we retake Wall Maria, and defeat all the enemies coming for us...will we get back the old days?" Mikasa's somber voice ghosted through, unsure. Levi had never heard her so subdued.

  
"We will. But some things are forever changed, and we'll make them pay for that." Eren answered.

  
The girl stayed silent. Of course she would believe him. Even Levi would admit that he found comfort in Eren's resolve.

  
It seemed that the conversation was over until Armin piped up and sparked his interest next.

  
"But there's more than that…"

  
The blond excitedly talked of places that were supposedly found far past the walls. They weren't the canopy of trees and rolling hills that Levi saw on a daily basis, but strange, foreign ones: an endless lake of salt, water that looked like fire, lands of ice and sandy snowfields…

  
They sounded straight out of a dream. Astonishing really, what one's reasons were for joining the Corps. Most wanted answers. Armin wanted the world.

  
"We'll start by going to the sea! You'll see Eren, it does exist!" There was no arguing with this kid.

  
"Alright then." Eren said with a hesitant chuckle. "Guess we'll have to go see it."

  
"That's a promise! Better yet, we'll get to explore many more outside the walls!"

  
Mikasa sighed. "Yet another thing only you two understand."

  
Right. It was absolutely absurd, even for him.

  
Levi stood up and returned to the dining area, finishing the last of his drink as he went, though he still wanted another round. While he crouched down refilling his mug, his ears caught footsteps not-so-stealthily sneaking off to the servants quarters where they'd been assigned to rest.

  
Good. Guess it was his turn now.

  
He almost dropped his second beer when he got back.

  
Eren was still sitting on top of the stairs. Since he believed he had no reason to lighten his step, the younger man heard him walking out into the open. His head turned in Levi's direction before he got the chance to step back into the shadow.

  
Fuck.

  
"Who's--oh...good evening, Captain…" The boy seemed even more surprised than he was realizing he was just out here traipsing about this late. His eyes were quizzically wide, trailing to the mug in Levi's hand, and his posture went rigid for awhile, as if in preparation for something. Levi couldn't blame him, having almost kicked him in the balls earlier.

  
"Hey." Levi said, leaning against the entrance. "How's your stomach? Hope I didn't go too hard on you back there."

  
"Oh," Eren looked down at it in question, hand splayed over his navel. "It's fine. Nothing I can't handle."

  
Talk about self-preservation.

  
"Thought I told you it should be lights-out by now. Do you need me to carry your ass bridal-style back to your bed?"

  
Eren stifled a chuckle. "I'm afraid I can't sleep, Sir. I assume you're here for the same reason."

  
"Hm." Levi pushed himself off the wall and made himself comfortable on the space to Eren's left side. He noticed Eren shifting his legs to do the same, though he was still considerably tense and seemed to have a lot on his mind.

  
Levi held out his beer. "Want a sip? It'll help you relax."

  
Eren put up his hand in polite refusal. "No thank you. Tried some alcohol once, didn't like it."

  
"Suit yourself." Levi raised the rim to his lips. "Though, you wouldn't be allowed to under normal circumstances. People your age would kill to flaunt cheap shit like this around. They love to experiment."

  
Eren folded his arms to rest his head upon them, looking at Levi all the while. "I didn't know you drink."

  
"Tea doesn't come at an easy price, Eren, this is an acceptable substitute."

  
"Heh, so it would appear."

  
Levi gazed upward, searching for the constellations he read in a little paperback he picked up in Erwin's office out of boredom. He never found a single one on his own.

  
"Have you ever tried wine?" Eren spoke up, interrupting his focus.

  
"No...what the hell is that?"

  
"I heard from Armin that its a special celebratory drink that tastes like the stars, and what's amazing is that they only come from these fruits that look like blueberries bunched together." The level of absurdity was not far off from what the blond listed previously. In case Levi forgot, this was the same person whose intellect and strategic flair rivaled that of Erwin's.

  
"Weird. Where did he get that knowledge?"

  
"From this big book he's been reading. He's read so much in so little time, I don't know how he does it."

  
"He's certainly ambitious, I'll give him that."

  
More silence. Levi stroked his thumb up and down the mug handle, struggling with what to say. He didn't have a casual conversation like this in a long time. Unlike Armin, who knew of so many things, all he was good for was offering straight-cut advice when Eren needed it.

  
Eren saved him from his awkwardness again.

  
"May I ask you a personal question, Levi?"

  
"Depends on the question." He had a feeling he knew already.

  
"Once everything with Shiganshina is over and done with...what do you plan on doing after?

  
He really believed there could be an 'after'.

  
"I-" Levi hadn't thought about it much. No one had bothered to ask him until Eren, who was looking at him with those bright, curious eyes of his.

  
Licking the beer off his lips, he carried on. "Help with setting up more orphanages I guess, build a tea shop somewhere in a year. Doesn't matter where I end up, as long as I can get a place for myself where the air is fresh and clean."

  
"I see." Eren smiled, but there was a hint of sadness to it. "I wish you the best of luck then, Captain."

  
Levi hummed in thanks and took another sip, feeling the beer burn down his throat but never taking its effect on him.

  
If it did...he would have told Eren his new dream. It was a silly thing, but he silently wished on whatever star lurked up in the sky at the moment that it would maybe come true.

**Author's Note:**

> Prepare for some angst next chapter :)))


End file.
